Study: MIT Brains on America's Car Future

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently released a study describing how the United States should move forward in developing cleaner automobile technology. Here are some of the highlights from their findings:

• The rapid introduction of hybrids and diesel vehicles will likely not make a major impact in emissions before 2025, and it will take a major increase in consumer interest in fuel efficient vehicles to truly lower emissions and oil dependency. MIT found that if 55% of vehicles on the road were hybrids, emissions would shrink by 20% in the next 30 years. Without improvements in vehicle efficiency, fuel use will rise 35% in that span of time.
• It’s more important for car manufacturers to focus on short-term improvements like introducing more hybrids and using light-weight materials to increase efficiency than it is to try to introduce technologies that aren’t ready for widespread use (like hydrogen fuel cells).

• The recent CAFE legislation mandating vehicle fleets to reach 35 mpg by 2020 is weak when compared to the progress that needs to be made. That said, the study does also speculate that the market forces of rapidly rising fuel costs could push consumers to abandon SUVs and other gas-guzzling vehicles at an extreme clip.
• The government can best support fuel efficiency by offering broad tax credits to consumers and automakers for fuel efficient vehicles. It also suggests ending costly agricultural subsidies and putting the money into funding for biofuel research, which is likely to decrease the emphasis on ethanol.

Mix of Gas and Hybrid Cars to Slash Fossil Fuel Use: MIT Study (Green Tech)